


the warmth of your glow

by popkin16



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Watcher Entertainment RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Angst and Fluff and Smut, First Time, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), M/M, Modern Era, Oblivious Shane Madej, Ryan is Persephone and Shane is Hades, Ryan will fuck you up though, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:27:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29975988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/popkin16/pseuds/popkin16
Summary: Shane's known Ryan for millennia, but this has to be the craziest idea he's had yet.Greek Gods AU.
Relationships: Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Comments: 25
Kudos: 71





	the warmth of your glow

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd, as always, by the lovely [vigilaunt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vigilaunt). Many, many thanks to [strawberrymilano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrymilano/pseuds/strawberrymilano) for holding my hand (and reassuring me that it shouldn't be chucked into the trash wholesale). Also, big thanks to [Zhalia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zhalia/pseuds/Zhalia) for beta'ing and cheerleading me on. Where would I be without you three?
> 
> This idea popped into my head out of the blue in early January. I promised myself I'd keep it short, and look where we are now.
> 
> Curly: Apollo (god of the Sun and light, poetry, music & dance, truth & prophecy, and more).  
> Sara: Athena (goddess of handicraft, wisdom, and warfare)  
> Devon: Hermes (the herald of the gods, able to move quickly and freely between the worlds of the mortal and the divine)

Shane waited in the shade of a large oak tree and watched as the sunlight shone through the leaves. He took in a deep breath, tasting the fresh air. It was good to get out.

Shane didn’t like to leave the underworld to visit Mount Olympus. He loved his brothers and sisters, but the perpetual drama between his people was ever-evolving and difficult to keep up with. He never knew who was fighting or sleeping together, and it was exhausting to try to stay informed. There were just so _many_ of them, beautiful and confident and shining. Shane liked to stick to the shadows, sulking and watching everything unfold, leaving when the arguments began and items started being thrown.

The underworld was dark, sure, but it was quiet and peaceful. Shane was left with his books and his work and occasionally, the few friends he’d made topside would visit.

When he grew bored, he preferred to go to Earth and watch the humans live their lives. They were intelligent and creative, and it was _wonderful_ to see what they’d come up with next. Already cellphones and the internet had been integrated into the underworld, with Mount Olympus following suit not long after. Shane liked being able to interact with people while keeping his distance. He spoke more to his fellow gods these past few years than he ever had before.

He spoke to Ryan most of all.

Shane couldn’t recall when he first noticed Ryan - only that when he did, it was impossible to stop. Ryan had the ability to fill any room with the light of his laughter, and carried with him the scent of living things; constantly shifting between something sweet and mellow.

His eyes were a lovely brown with swirls of glowing green, and he always, always had a smudge of dirt on his cheek, something Shane found endlessly endearing.

What Shane remembered was that Ryan had been the one to strike up conversation first. Usually, Shane stuck to people he knew, or relied upon TJ or Curly to introduce him. Most took care to avoid him, afraid of his domain. This didn’t bother Shane - if they were going to let his job keep them away, he didn’t want to speak to them anyway.

Ryan, unlike the others, had marched right up to Shane, introduced himself, and made Shane laugh within five minutes. Though Shane towered over Ryan, it never seemed to intimidate him. And so it began: one of the truest, deepest friendships Shane had ever had.

It was this deep friendship that had led to Shane venturing out of his domain, squinting against the sunlight and grumbling about sunburn. _Must Curly always make things so damn bright,_ Shane thought. Olympic Park was beautiful; lush and colorful, and it was Ryan’s favorite park. It had become their go-to meeting place when they were topside, as it was relatively easy to find a secluded spot to appear in.

“Over here, big guy.”

Shane turned to find Ryan leaning against another tall tree, beaming at him. The wind was tugging at his curls, while plants bloomed at his feet. He was wearing a maroon, long-sleeved shirt that clung in all the right places, as well as ripped, black pants. It took some effort to move his eyes away from Ryan’s arms and up to his wide smile.

“You’re going to give yourself away if you keep doing that,” Shane commented, gesturing at the flowers and plants at Ryan’s feet. Ryan shrugged, unrepentant.

“In this era of skepticism? Unlikely,” Ryan dismissed. “They’ll think the wind carried some seeds into the area.”

He approached Shane with a bounce to his gait, a flower blooming after every step. He stopped just inside Shane’s personal space, tilting his head up so he could continue to meet Shane’s eyes. His grin softened, and he reached out with one hand to tap on Shane’s chest twice with his fist.

“How’s it going, man? We haven’t spoken in a while. Like, six months or something.”

Shane shrugged and returned Ryan’s smile with one of his own. “Same old stuff, really. Been watching a lot of Netflix. Reading.”

“Dude, same,” Ryan said. He fidgeted, rubbed his hands together, and bit his bottom lip. “But I’ve been doing some thinking, too. I wanted to ask you something.”

This was enough to make Shane very nervous. He liked Ryan a whole lot, but the man was _trouble_. He didn’t want to go on another roller coaster, thank you, or try some human food that burned his mouth. Usually Ryan just called Shane up and dragged him on an (admittedly fun) adventure. There wasn’t any asking involved, and Ryan was _never_ nervous, so whatever this entailed was sure to be a doozy.

“I’m listening,” Shane said cautiously, narrowing his eyes to convey his suspicion. He loomed over Ryan, who didn’t appear to notice.

Ryan was silent for a moment, clearly trying to come up with the best way to ask. After a moment, he squared his shoulders and sent Shane an anxious grin.

“How do you feel about kidnapping?”

* * *

An hour later over bubble tea, Shane had pointed out for the third time that there was something _very_ wrong with Ryan. They’d appeared in L.A., just off the beaten path of one of the hiking trails. They’d been lucky nobody had been around to see them pop out of nowhere, not that Ryan seemed concerned. He’d wrapped his hand around Shane’s wrist and tugged him out of the bushes, phone already in hand to call an Uber.

“I think it’s a fun idea,” Ryan argued, flashing him a grin.

“You - I can’t - unbelievable,” Shane groaned, pressing a hand to his face. “Why can’t you just take a vacation like a normal person? Why do you need people to think I’ve kidnapped you?”

“Nobody’s going to come after me if they think you’ve got me,” Ryan explained. “Which is fucking stupid, if you ask me. You’re the sweetest guy I know.”

“And you’re a fucking lunatic,” Shane shot back. It amused him that people looked at him - at his height and his job - and got scared. Meanwhile, “Sunshine” Bergara was ready to throw down over the stupidest shit; tripping demi-gods for knocking into Shane without apologizing. It wasn’t that Shane didn’t get mad, so much as it took a lot to get him there.

Shane could hold his own, if he had to. Ryan seemed to forget that.

“If you wanted to hang out with me down below, you could just _ask_ ,” Shane pointed out.

Ryan’s ears turned pink and he ducked his head, squirming under Shane’s gaze.

“Unless there’s another reason you’re not telling me…”

Ryan looked up and pressed his lips together, blowing out a breath. Then he slumped against his chair and ran a hand through his curls. To their left, a human missed her mouth and shoved her straw up her nose, too busy staring at Ryan. Shane smothered a laugh.

“So, mom’s kinda been on my case lately,” Ryan admitted. “She wants me to see this nymph.”

“Ah,” Shane said. His breath caught in his throat and his heart made hard, painful _thumps_ in his chest. He shook off the feeling and raised his eyebrows.

“I’ve told her I’m not interested but she won’t listen. I’m actually - uh, nevermind. Anyway, Helen’s nice and all, but she’s not my type.”

“I thought pretty and smart _was_ your type,” Shane said. He was personally neutral on Helen, but she seemed Ryan’s type. He’d always liked them capable, and she seemed nice enough.

Ryan looked at Shane for a moment, just taking him in. And then he smiled, slow and sly, and said, “Oh, it is.”

“So what’s wrong with Helen?” Shane furrowed his brow, confused. Normally Ryan would at least give them a chance, especially if his beloved mother thought they’d be a good match.

“Nothing, she’s great. She’s just not right for me.” Ryan took a sip of his herbal tea and hummed at the taste. “Anyway, I want to get away for awhile. And I thought it’d be cool if we could spend some time together, Shane. Like, we’ve never really hung out for a significant period of time.”

“Okay,” Shane agreed, drawing the word out. “I’m still not seeing why I should kidnap you. Just come with me. I don’t want to piss your mom off, to be honest.”

“She won’t let me go,” Ryan leaned forward, putting his elbow on the table and resting his chin on the palm of his hand. “It’s almost spring and she’s pushing hard for Helen.”

“So you want me to piss off your mother so you can chill and avoid going on a date,” Shane reiterated.

“I haven’t taken a vacation since I was created,” Ryan argued. He pouted. “It’s not like mom needs me. She has Jake to help her out.”

“Jake’s pretty awesome,” Shane agreed. He scratched the back of his head, thinking it over. Linda was pretty level headed. She knew her son could be kind of a bonehead, and she’d known Shane his whole life. Even if rumors spread that Shane had kidnapped her boy, she’d at least listen before she attempted to cut Shane’s head off. Ryan’s reasons might be dumb, but he _did_ look a little tired.

“One condition,” Shane said, and Ryan sat up straight, his entire face lighting up with joy and excitement. It made Shane’s chest feel warm, a surge of answering emotion. He smiled back and stretched his leg out to nudge at Ryan’s foot. The smell of gardenias filled the air, potent and lovely.

“What is it?” Ryan asked, smiling.

“When your vacation is over, you have to tell your mother it was your idea.”

Ryan threw his head back and laughed, open and delighted.

“Deal,” he wheezed.

* * *

It was easy enough to stage the ‘kidnapping’. Shane waited until Ryan was chatting with Curly, the two of them standing in the middle of a sunny meadow in the middle of nowhere. Curly seemed none the wiser of what he was about to witness, so Shane supposed it was something they did often.

He waited for the signal from the treeline, watching closely. When Ryan removed his hat and ran his hand through his hair, Shane took a deep breath before appearing directly behind Ryan. He wrapped his arms around him, pulling him until his back was resting against Shane’s chest, and yelled, “GOT YOU,” before disappearing.

It wasn’t subtle, but everybody would hear about it before the sun went down.

They appeared in the underworld, outside the little house Shane had created for himself eons ago. Ryan had never been down below before; every time they hung out, it was in Mount Olympus or - more frequently - on Earth. Shane had never had the heart to take him from the realm of living things, though this place wasn’t completely devoid of it.

“Wow,” Ryan breathed, taking it all in. Glowing lichen gave the room a low, blue glow. The river Styx flowed calmly by, its own glow adding to the natural light. Shane looked at the reflection of the lichen in Ryan’s eyes and felt a sense of longing so intense he was breathless with it. In the dim lighting, Ryan glowed with health and life, soft and warm.

Ryan wandered over to the stone walls that made up the caves of the underworld and gently pressed his fingers against the lichen. It spread over the rocks, growing rapidly, and Ryan let out a soft laugh.

“I had no idea you had plants down here,” he said, twisting to look at Shane.

“There’s not much,” Shane shrugged, “and most of what there is exists because of your mother. She came down here, many years ago, and together we created the lichen and a few plants that could exist without sunlight.”

“She never said,” Ryan murmured, looking at Shane. In the dim light, Shane couldn’t read his expression. Shane shrugged again. It meant a lot to him, that she would do such a thing. That she thought of his well-being. He could still remember her telling him not to cut himself off from the living, not to forget that he too lived and breathed.

He hadn’t fully embraced that until Ryan had marched into his life. Though TJ, Brent, Devon, and Sara visited and he enjoyed their company, he wouldn’t call anything he’d done _living_.

Shane watched Ryan wander towards his front door and felt all the hair on his arms stand up. This moment felt weirdly momentous, like something big was happening right under Shane’s nose. Letting Ryan into his home was a big deal; he could count on one hand the number of people who’d been inside.

“Are you going to give me a tour or what, big guy?” Ryan called.

Shane shook off the weird feeling and hurried to Ryan’s side. He never bothered to lock his door, so he simply twisted the doorknob and pushed it open. Ryan stepped in beside him, and Shane ran a hand through his hair nervously, hoping Ryan wouldn’t hate...everything. Shane looked around, trying to see it as Ryan would.

Shane had opted for a light colored wood for the building itself. The inside was lit warmly, and he was never quite sure how Sara had achieved it. When the goddess had tried to explain, his attention had wandered half-way through.

It was an open concept, the kitchen to the left when you went through the front door and the living room immediately inside. The guest room was at the far back, almost directly across from the front door. Shane’s bedroom and library was upstairs. Because the underworld was so dark, Shane had splurged on the inside of his house, indulging in bright, colorful art and blankets.

“Your place is so - wow,” Ryan said, sounding awed. Shane’s cheeks flushed with pleasure at the compliment, but honesty compelled him to say,

“That’s all thanks to Sara, really. She helped me pick things out.” The goddess of handicrafts certainly knew how to pull a room together.

“You guys seem pretty close.” Ryan sent him a sidelong glance. He looked to be holding his breath, like what Shane said next was important. “I see you two chatting at gatherings.”

“Uh, well. Yeah, I mean,” Shane stuttered, “We - we were together for a while. Like, a long while. But we’re just friends now.”

Ryan’s shoulders relaxed. He smiled brightly, “Well, that’s okay then.”

“Yes?” He hadn’t meant for his response to come out as a question, but he wasn’t sure how to take Ryan’s comment. He decided Ryan simply meant that it was good their breakup had been amicable and left it at that, because anything else threatened to make his brain explode. He was terrible at telling friendliness from flirting.

Shane gestured for Ryan to follow and led him to the guest bedroom. “It shares a bathroom with the main floor,” Shane said apologetically, but Ryan didn’t seem bothered. After gesturing to the bathroom, Shane dramatically dropped onto the couch, slumping deep into the cushions.

“Make yourself at home,” he said, “Seriously, treat this place like it’s your own, I’m not going to wait on you.”

“Some host you are,” Ryan joked. Instead of sitting on the opposite side of the coach, he collapsed next to Shane, his body a line of heat pressed right up against him. Shane subtly leaned sideways, pressing himself more firmly against Ryan, and smiled up at the ceiling.

“Did you grab the bags I packed?” Ryan asked, tilting his head to look at Shane. His face was so close to Shane’s they were practically breathing the same air, and Shane was once again reminded of how small Ryan seemed. His personality was so big it was easy to forget that Shane was so much bigger. Warmth spread across Shane’s cheeks and want burned in his chest; it’d be so easy to kiss Ryan like this. He was even tilting his chin up -

“Mmhmm. Almost pulled my arm out of the socket trying to lift them.” Shane pulled back, just a little. Ryan was his favorite person, and he wanted to keep him around. It was one thing to willingly befriend the god of the underworld and quite another to kiss him.

“Don’t be such a baby,” Ryan rolled his eyes. He leaned forward, closing the small distance Shane had put between them, shoulders pressed together.

“What’s in there?”

“Clothes, toiletries, weights -”

“Weights?!” Shane snapped his head down to look at Ryan, wide-eyed.

“Yeah, dude, I can’t let my workout routine go just because I’m on vacation.”

Shane wrinkled his nose. His idea of exercise was running. Or sex. He eyed Ryan’s muscles and conceded that was at least partly why Ryan was built and Shane was - not. Still, sticking to your workout routine while on _vacation_?

“You know, you could join me,” Ryan said, eyes twinkling.

“God, no,” Shane replied immediately. “Don’t even think about it, buddy. You might be on vacation, but I’m not.”

“Oooh,” Ryan breathed. He sat up, twisting on the couch to face Shane. His face was lit up with excitement, grin wide and toothy. “I could help you!”

“Help me,” Shane repeated blankly.

“Yeah! I mean, I don’t know what it is you do exactly, but I’m sure you could use some help. And if you finish faster, we can hang out more.”

Shane rubbed at his chin with a dubious expression. It wasn’t that Shane didn’t think Ryan could be an asset. The souls of the dead tended to be upset when they awoke in the underworld. Soothing them took time and encouraging them to embrace peace took even more. Ryan was warm and empathetic; gods and humans alike took to him with ease, and Shane was sure souls would too. But not all souls had peaceful deaths, or were deserving of it. Ryan was cheerful and kind, and he didn’t want to think about Ryan confronted with the soul of a child, taken from life far too soon; or the soul of a woman, brutally murdered by her husband.

It made _Shane’s_ heart ache, and Ryan liked to tease him that he was a robot.

“Maybe,” Shane conceded after a long pause. “We should probably discuss exactly what it is I do before you jump in head first, though.”

“I can do it,” Ryan said stubbornly. “I could help you.”

“I know you could,” Shane agreed softly, “It’s not a question of capability. It’s a question of - consequences.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ryan asked, furrowing his brow.

“Let’s - let's save that for later, huh? For now we should have dinner and watch something.”

Ryan’s narrowed eyes let Shane know he wasn’t going to give up the topic without a fight, but he let himself be distracted. He followed Shane into the kitchen, right on his heels, and put his considerable energy into helping Shane prepare dinner.

It seemed so right having Ryan here with him, digging through his cupboards and cracking stupid jokes. Shane put his hand on Ryan’s lower back as he slid behind him to get to the refrigerator and Ryan shivered under his touch. When Shane looked at him, worried Ryan would be disgusted by such an intimate touch, Ryan was smiling down at his hands, ears pink.

When they settled on the couch, plates in hand, to argue over what show they should watch together first - Shane wanted to check out The Umbrella Academy, while Ryan pushed for The Expanse - Ryan once again took a seat directly next to Shane, so close their thighs pressed together. Shane tried not to read too much into it, but it was hard to ignore the little moments that were starting to add up.

Shane shot a glance at Ryan, taking in the way the light from the tv reflected in his eyes. The messy curls and happy expression on his face as he ate the food they made together. The way both of their legs were stretched out, resting on the table in front of the couch. It would be so easy to press his socked feet to Ryan’s; to rest his leg atop Ryan’s own.

Uncertainty kept him locked in place, but the fact that he was allowing himself to have these thoughts while in Ryan’s presence was progress.

When Ryan got up to take his plate to the kitchen, he paused.

“You done?” He asked quietly, and Shane gamely handed over his own plate. Ryan padded into the kitchen, dropping the plates in the sink before returning, steps quick but quiet over the worn floor. He retook his spot on the couch with a happy little sigh, slumped against Shane.

It was difficult to concentrate when Ryan was so close, warm and smelling like gardenias. Shane snuck glances until Ryan’s eyes flicked over just in time to catch him staring. Ryan didn’t say anything, only smiled a small, secretive smile and knocked his foot against Shane’s. He kept it there, slipped in between Shane’s ankles.

Shane, his cheeks red, kept his eyes on the television. He focused on the storyline, forgetting for the moment where he was and the precious company he kept. Ryan’s head hitting his shoulder startled him out of his trance.

He glanced down to find Ryan asleep, eyelashes dark against the skin of his cheeks. His head had landed in such a way that his cheek was squished against Shane’s shoulder, forcing his lips into a little pout. Shane’s breath hitched with amusement and fondness. It took everything he had not to touch or trace the line of Ryan’s full mouth; to wrap one of his soft curls around his finger.

Shane let himself look, and felt love bloom in his chest like the flowers Ryan grew so easily. The tendrils of it sank deep, taking root in his heart; unshakeable and undeniable. In his mind, it glowed the same way Ryan did: a mix of gold, the green of living things, and the brown of Ryan’s eyes.

“Wake up,” Shane whispered, and reached down to pat Ryan’s leg, the only part of him that felt safe to touch. Instead of opening his eyes, Ryan grabbed Shane’s hand, holding it tight. He wrinkled his nose and turned his head to more firmly bury it against Shane’s side.

“Ryan, you need to move to the bed. Your body will thank you tomorrow.”

“Comfy,” Ryan grumbled. “Don’t wanna.”

Heart squeezing uncomfortably, Shane shifted. Gathering himself, he got to his feet as quickly as possible, leaving Ryan with no option other than to fall sideways, face first into the spot Shane had just been sitting.

“Asshole,” A now-awake Ryan squawked.

“Sorry,” Shane replied, holding out his hand. Ryan reached up and took the proffered hand - Shane noted that they were calloused and dry, and that Shane’s hand dwarfed Ryan’s. It made him feel things, as did the way his pale skin contrasted against Ryan’s darker tone.

Shane tried to let go as soon as Ryan was steady on his feet, but Ryan stubbornly hung on. He looked up at Shane with half opened eyes and a sleepy smile, a hint of mischievousness in its tilt.

“Gonna take me to bed, big guy?” Ryan asked, voice hoarse from sleep.

“Ermghf,” Shane said, too overcome by the very idea of it to give an actual response. Then, “I’ll tuck you in,” which was not at all what he meant to say. He was _supposed_ to say Ryan was a grown-ass man and could see himself to bed. He was not supposed to follow him into the guest room and actually tuck him in, holding the blankets and sheets up so Ryan could climb in, and then gently settling them over him. But that was what he did.

When Shane turned to leave, Ryan let out a quiet sigh, small and forlorn. Shane glanced back at him and saw that Ryan was watching him go, eyes glinting in the low light spilling in from the open doorway.

“There’s a fan in the corner if you sleep better with noise,” Shane whispered. He hovered in the doorway, uncertain about what Ryan wanted or needed. But Ryan didn’t speak up, so Shane backed out, a heartfelt, “good night,” lingering in the air between them as he eased the door closed.

* * *

While Shane knew that Ryan got up early to work out before beginning his day, it was still a surprise to be confronted by his sweaty, tank top wearing self at 10 am just two days after he’d first arrived. Shane missed the last stair as he came down from upstairs and almost fell face first. Ryan turned to look at him, face flushed an attractive pink, and raised an eyebrow.

“You alright there, Shane?”

“Must you do that _inside_ ,” Shane replied shakily. _Where I have to see it first thing in the morning_ , he did not say. “You’re going to make the place smell like sweat.”

Ryan blinked innocently. “I had no idea it bothered you so much.”

Shane rubbed the sleep from his eyes and wandered over to the coffee machine. He slumped against the counter and carefully didn’t watch as Ryan put away his weights, fixing his coffee on autopilot. His complaint had been a weak one; even Ryan’s sweat smelled like vegetation. Must he be perfect in every way?

“I’m going to shower,” Ryan said, appearing at Shane’s side. He reached out and took the cup of coffee from Shane’s hand, stealing a sip before handing it back to him. He winked as he retreated to his bedroom, and Shane absolutely did not jerk his head away to stare at his coffee, cheeks and neck burning.

Shane had known Ryan for many, many years. He’s seen his friend in an assortment of moods, and he’d always managed to keep his equilibrium. But this sudden, overt flirting had the ground tilting beneath his feet as he struggled not to topple over. Ryan had always been friendly and a little flirty with damn near everyone, but it had never been focused on Shane before. It was disconcerting.

 _I’m the only one here he can flirt with_ , Shane reminded himself. _Don’t read too much into it_.

It hurt, but Shane had long ago come to terms with the boundaries of his friendship with Ryan. They never fell asleep cuddling like Ryan did with Danny and Roland. He never called Shane ‘baby’, even as a joke, like he did their mutual friend Steven. Until recently, Ryan had touched him only casually, fleetingly. It was _fine_.

Nodding to himself, Shane moved to stretch out on the couch. He’d wait for Ryan to finish his shower, take his own, and then give in to Ryan’s begging and take him on a tour of the underworld. Shane would have to explain the sometimes painful process of dividing the souls up, sending the bad ones off for punishment and attempting to help the good ones find peace.

And maybe, just maybe, keep his horny, lovestruck thoughts to himself.

It was a solid plan. But as they say, no plan survives first contact, and Ryan stepping out of the bathroom, wet and still flushed pink, a towel slipping down his hips, made Shane’s determination fold like a deck of cards.

Shane gaped.

Ryan ran a hand through his hair, the other holding the towel in place. He did a double take when he noticed Shane staring, before a smirk curved his beautiful mouth.

“Nice water pressure,” Ryan complimented, practically preening under Shane’s glazed, heated gaze. His nipples were hard, Shane noticed, and his skin was probably warm from the water and slippery to the touch. Shane could smell him from here, his body wash and shampoo filling the room, carried there by the heated air of the bathroom. Shane really, really wanted Ryan to let go of the towel, let it slip down his hips, reveal more of the ‘v’ of his torso, maybe even the top of his cock.

Shane swallowed a dozen or so responses, each dirtier than the last.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, mouth far too dry for any other words. “I, uh, I’m going to go get dressed.”

“I thought you were going to shower?” Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow.

 _Not a good idea_ , Shane’s inner voice spat frantically. _Under no circumstances should you get yourself naked and wet. No jerking off to fantasies of Ryan when he’s staying with you._

“Maybe tonight,” Shane said, and at least he appeared to be starting to recover from the shock of seeing so much skin. “Wouldn’t want to be late.”

Ryan shrugged those beautiful shoulders and walked to his room. Shane was helpless against the draw of Ryan’s ass, covered only by the fluffy towel. Shane dug the nails of his right hand into the palm of his left hand to distract himself as Ryan entered the room and reached out with one hand to swing the door shut behind him. But he either didn’t push hard enough or was being a cheeky little shit, because he whipped off the towel just before the door closed, giving Shane an all too brief glimpse of his tanned, muscular ass.

Shane wished, just for a moment, that he were human so he could pray to a God - any god, he wasn’t picky - to help him survive the temptation that was Ryan.

* * *

Shane took him around the back of the house first.

When he’d decided to build a house in the underworld, he’d enlisted Sara and Curly’s help. As the goddess of wisdom and the god of knowledge, they’d managed to create a little pocket dimension in the underworld where Shane’s house could sit. The demarcation between the underworld and Shane’s house was invisible to the naked eye except for around the back, where it became immediately apparent.

There was a small garden there, grown by Shane’s own fumbling hands. Mostly vegetables and fruits, and in the very center was an apple tree. Nothing was truly _thriving_ , everything being just this side of healthy, but it made Shane feel happy to see it there, to pick the fruit and feel - just for a little bit - that his hands were good for something other than dealing with death. Where this dimension ended and the underworld began was marked by the abrupt end to the grass and plants.

It was nothing special, but watching Ryan’s face as he took it in made his heart sing.

“Did you do all this? How?” Ryan asked, twisting to look up at Shane.

Shane shrugged. “It was mostly Sara and Curly’s work. I just lent some power.”

He smiled, pride twisting with shyness at the awe in Ryan’s eyes. He watched the little guy wander through, reaching out to poke at the strawberries, turning them vibrant. Flowers sprung up where he walked, just as it did on Earth, and Shane knew he’d do his best to nurture those along after Ryan left.

When Ryan reached out to pick a berry, Shane hurried to his side. He plucked it out of Ryan’s hand and popped it into his mouth. Ryan’s pout would ordinarily be hilarious, but Shane was in no laughing mood.

“Don’t eat any of this,” Shane cautioned. “None of this came from Earth.”

Ryan tilted his head curiously. “What difference does that make?”

“C’mon, Ryan, you know the stories,” Shane ducked his head down to kick at the ground. “If you eat something that came from the underworld, you’re stuck there.”

“I’m not a human,” Ryan pointed out.

“Which just means you can leave, but you’ll still have to come back. You’ll _have_ to,” Shane emphasized.

“I thought this was its own pocket dimension?” Ryan asked, hands on his hips. He looked over the bushes and the tree with a thoughtful air.

“They are. But these plants have never sprouted on Earth. They were planted and raised here. This pocket dimension is still situated inside the underworld, and the rules still apply.”

“I’ve already eaten food here, though,” Ryan pointed out. He didn’t seem at all bothered by the idea that he might have to return here, again and again. That Shane may have fed him food knowing he’d be trapping Ryan into future visits.

“Everything in the house came from Earth. I grocery shop just like a normal person.”

Shane _liked_ food. The tastes, the colors; the way different combinations could create something new and exciting. Food may not have been necessary for their survival, but it was fun and delicious.

“Now that I would _love_ to see,” Ryan cackled, one hand resting on his chest as he laughed. He tilted his head back, smile wide and so beautiful, and his open delight made Shane laugh too.

“Just me, pushing a grocery cart,” Shane grinned. “Wearing a hawaiian shirt.”

“And a stupid, floppy hat,” Ryan continued.

“Aggressively fighting middle aged humans over the last box of popcorn,” Shane finished.

“I can’t see you doing anything aggressively,” Ryan said, shaking his head.

Shane shrugged. “You’d be surprised,” he responded cryptically, and then jerked his head back toward the house. Ryan followed him, making outlandish guesses about what could make Shane angry. Shane alternated between rolling his eyes and laughing out loud, making his own ridiculous suggestions and winking when Ryan eyed him suspiciously.

Ghoul HQ, as it was affectionately nicknamed by those who worked there, was located at the center of the underworld. Shane had shamelessly stolen humanity’s concepts of paperwork and technology to make sorting the humans easier. He’d even had some of his people look into therapy techniques to help some of the more stubborn souls move on.

Minthe handed him a tablet as soon as he stepped through the door. She smiled warmly at Ryan in greeting, but professionalism had her turning back to him and filling him in. Souls came at all times, and while Shane had the final say over what section of the underworld they were sorted into, Minthe and the others did the preliminary work to make his job easier, putting them into temporary housing while they waited to hear of their final destination.

“It was a pretty quiet night,” Minthe informed him. She was dressed in a woman’s suit jacket and skirt, but she wore converse shoes instead of high heels. It made it easier to keep up with Shane’s longer strides. She adjusted her glasses and, with a quick glance at Ryan, said, “Most of the souls were of the elderly variety, but a few were...younger.”

Shane grimaced but said nothing. They reached his office and he held the door open for Minthe and Ryan.

“You can review the files on your computer. I’ve flagged the cases that had elements that complicated their sorting, as always. Psyche has been meeting with them all day to determine if therapy will benefit any of them. If there are any you’d like to meet, please let me know and I’ll set something up.”

“Is that what you do all day - review files?” Ryan asked as soon as they were alone. He dropped into the chair in front of Shane’s work desk. His leg jiggled.

Shane sat behind his desk, opening the drawer to the right. He pulled out a pair of glasses and slipped them on absently. He pressed the button to boot his computer up and ran his hand through his hair. Ryan made a loud, whining noise, and Shane looked up to find him staring, mouth open just so.

“What?” Shane frowned.

“Glasses!” Ryan squeaked. Shane shifted under Ryan’s gaze. His cheeks began to burn. He’d never seen _that_ kind of look on Ryan’s face before, and he was enjoying being the focus of it.

“I like them,” he muttered to his desk. “I know I don’t need them, but I think they look nice.”

“Oh, they do,” Ryan said fervently, still a little high-pitched.

“Well, thanks,” Shane smiled. He ruffled his hair again as he turned his gaze back to his computer, feeling self-conscious under Ryan’s gaze. He tugged at the neck of his black turtleneck and wondered if maybe he should have worn something a little less warm, if Ryan was going to be looking at him like that. He’s glad, at least, that he hadn’t shaved in a couple days. Hopefully the facial hair would hide the blushing.

“So _is_ this what you do all day?” Ryan asked, slumping into the seat. He’d found a little rubber ball from god knows where and was tossing it from hand to hand.

“Just the start of it,” Shane explained. “Nine times out of ten my staff correctly sort people, but I like to go through the files myself. Then it’s off to ferry them to their final destination. I usually end the day by -” Here, Shane faltered.

“What? What is it?” Ryan leaned forward. He reached out with one hand as though to touch Shane, to comfort him. But Shane didn’t need comfort - his concern was for Ryan. But Ryan was no fainting flower, and it did him a disservice to decide for him what he could and could not handle.

“I usually personally ferry the little ones,” Shane admitted. “They’re usually scared and crying, and it pains me to hand them off to someone - even someone as competent as Charon.” Shane liked to gather them close and tell them silly stories from human history, or teach them songs that made them laugh. Out of all the souls that passed through his domain, he was most invested in helping them move on and find peace.

Ryan’s eyes softened. “That’s - that’s really awesome, Shane.”

Shane sent him a sweet smile. Though Minthe and the others knew that Shane personally escorted the children and babies to the Elysian Fields, they didn’t know the details of the time he spent with them. It felt right to share such a personal piece of himself with Ryan, though.

“Anyway, you can come along if you want,” Shane continued, “But you can’t - if _you’re_ upset, they’ll be upset.”

“I want to go,” Ryan said instantly. “I want to help you.”

“Thanks,” Shane replied, eyes brightening. “I’m sure the little tykes are going to love you.”

Everyone always did.

* * *

Watching Ryan reach out to pick up one of the little souls warmed Shane’s heart. Despite their semi-solid state, Ryan still cradled them close to his chest, listening intently as they babbled to him. Shane took turns carrying the others around on his shoulders, taking in their glee and excitement and letting it warm him through. Children were hardy, and despite the scary circumstances, they still let themselves have fun.

The tears started when Shane told them it was time to get in the boat.

“I don’t want to go without momma,” one of the little boys said, fat tears sliding down his face. Shane reached out to brush it away, kneeling down so he was on a more even level.

“Your momma can’t be here yet,” he said softly. “But when she does, we’ll take her right to you, I promise.”

The little boy reached out and clung to the front of Shane’s shirt. He wrapped his long arms around the boy and pulled him close, though not so tightly that the boy couldn’t wiggle his way free if he so chose. Shane rubbed the kiddo’s back, once again marveling at how tiny they were. Having one break down inevitably made the others start to cry, and Shane was so grateful when Ryan did his own part in comforting them.

Their eyes met over the small crowd of children. Ryan gave Shane a weak smile, his eyes red and watery. Shane smiled back, filled with gratitude and pleasure that Ryan was there with him.

“Wanna play pirates?” He asked the kids, and they gave nods of agreement with various levels of excitement. Shane straightened up and put his hands on his hips. “All aboard the pirate ship!”

He hustled them over and lifted them carefully into the boat, Ryan helping. They were still subdued, but were perking up at the idea of an adventure. When Shane sat in the boat at the front, the same little boy from before climbed into his lap, pressing his face against Shane’s chest.

“Everyone hold hands,” he said firmly. It was more for their own comfort than a fear out of them falling out of the boat - they couldn’t die twice, and nothing from the river would harm them with Shane personally ferrying them. At the other end of the boat, Ryan held two babies in his lap, face soft and sad as he looked down at them. Shane’s heart clenched in his chest and he looked away, down at the little ones who trusted him enough to follow him.

The boat pushed off from the shore by itself. Shane had long ago charmed it to take an established route so he could devote more attention to the kiddos. It was easy enough to capture their attention, and he told them the story of Alexandre Dumas’ first duel, where his pants were rumored to have fallen down. This was, of course, the height of humor for little ones.

Ryan’s bright smile and admiring look caught Shane’s eye, and he felt a small blush creep up his cheeks. He ducked his head and hurriedly moved on to the pirate song he’d created - child appropriate, or so he hoped, since he wasn’t exactly around children that often.

Ryan seemed to approve, if his loud laughter was anything to go by. With Ryan so openly enjoying the song, and Shane’s antics making the kids laugh, the trip went faster than any before it. The boat gently hit the shore of the Elysian Fields far too soon, the attendants for the children already waiting, patient and calm.

If Shane waited to give up the little boy in his arms until the last possible moment, the only one who might call him out on it was Ryan, who gave him a knowing look as he reluctantly handed the boy over. Shane’s heart nearly crumpled when he started to cry, blue eyes big and watery, fixed on Shane as he was taken away. He waved back, smiling as warmly as he could until they were out of sight, lost among the quaint houses.

Shane let out a slow, uneven breath. They were so young. So _tiny_.

“I knew you were a softie,” Ryan muttered, grinning. He bumped his shoulder against Shane’s, their hands brushing together accidentally. Shane smiled back weakly.

“Don’t let it get out, or I’ll have to kill you,” he joked.

Ryan sent Shane a look and replied, “I’d like to see you try.”

 _Oookay_ , Shane’s brain chimed in, and Shane had to fight the gay panic down to a managable level. He certainly wasn’t thinking about rolling around, wrestling with Ryan, or about somebody getting pinned down, or -

“Heh, right,” Shane wheezed, and barely waited for Ryan to get back in the boat before it was pushing off.

“What the fuck, man,” Ryan grouched, body sprawled awkwardly due to his hasty jump into the boat. Shane helped Ryan sit upright across from him, the boat was too narrow for two grown men to sit side by side. Across from him, Ryan stretched his legs out until their legs were tangled together, and his griping put Shane on more familiar ground. He felt his body relax as the boat glided through the water.

They had one more stop to make before heading home.

* * *

The entrance was an intimidatingly large opening tucked away in an unassuming corner of the underworld. Most gods popped in at Shane’s place of work - or, more rarely, outside his house - so this area mostly saw traffic from the newly deceased. Shane made a point of ending his work days here, and he was certain Ryan’s spirits were going to be lifted.

Cerberus lifted his three heads when Shane drew close, looking dangerous and gigantic compared to the steady stream of the deceased that plodded by. But his stubby tail was wagging, and all three heads wore a dopey, enthusiastic doggy smile. One head, on the left, lolled out its tongue, while the middle head looked past Shane to Ryan. The third head merely looked sleepy.

“Whoa,” Ryan breathed, lingering back a few steps.

Shane reached up with one hand, and Cerberus gamely dropped down so Shane could pet all three heads. The sleepy one butted at Shane’s chest, and despite the gentleness of the action, Shane still stumbled back.

“They’re friendly, I promise,” Shane laughed, scratching at the right head’s ears, to the middle head when it began to whine. Ryan crept closer with a small, uncertain smile. He slowly reached out to Cerberus’ left head, who merely watched. When Ryan was at Shane’s side, Cerberus bowed its head, allowing Ryan to pat him with his outstretched hand and scratch behind his ears.

“Aren’t you just a sweetheart,” Ryan cooed, and then Cerberus’ middle head was pushing the left head out of the way in order to get head scritches. Ryan laughed, and the dog’s stubby tail wagged so hard its entire butt was twitching. Shane stepped back so all three of the dog’s heads were begging for attention from Ryan, enjoying Ryan’s big laugh and excited touches.

It was good to see him smiling after saying goodbye to the kids.

By the time Ryan returned to Shane’s side, he was flushed and smiling. Shane smiled back and reached out to wrap one arm around Ryan’s shoulders, turning him away from the entrance and Cerberus, who was once again intently watching the flow of souls streaming in through the entrance.

“Ready to go home?” Shane asked quietly, and Ryan tucked himself more firmly against Shane’s side.

“Yeah, let's go home.”

* * *

It was astonishing to Shane how quickly they settled into a routine as the weeks and months slipped by. Ryan did not always accompany Shane to work - sometimes he’d spend the day in Shane’s garden, encouraging the plants to grow, or veg out on the couch watching Netflix. But when he did, Shane’s job seemed easier, more fun, and the kiddos were always quicker to laugh when Ryan was around to bounce off of.

Sharing his home with Ryan was easy. Whether they returned together after work or Ryan greeted him at the door, it never failed to make Shane feel almost _light_ with joy. Shane loved the domesticity of it all - making meals together and bickering over whose turn it was to do the dishes or take out the trash. That either of them could magic away the mess went unspoken; there was something about these little things that seemed more special when done by hand, side by side.

Shane spent less time at work. He took the weekends off and went home at a reasonable time, and Minthe was sending him supportive, keen looks every time he logged off for the day. It also meant she could go home to Psyche, which Shane knew was the real reason she was so happy with the early nights.

Ryan continued to parade around in nothing but a towel, but now he was also constantly invading Shane’s space. His gaze lingered on Shane’s face and his smirk was insufferable. He swore Ryan was deliberately getting in his way, stepping back as Shane was going by so they’d collide. It made Shane’s fingers itch with the need to back Ryan against a wall or some other vertical surface and demand he stop the teasing _or else_.

Shane was beginning to suspect that Ryan had caught on to his big, stupid crush. Rather than give them both physical space, he took to teasing as a way of showing Shane that he didn’t mind. It was kind of sweet in a misguided way, because being able to look but not touch was arguably worse in Shane’s mind. Flirting, but never following through. Like dying of thirst but granted only a sip of water.

Despite this, Shane couldn’t remember the last time he was so happy. Despite Ryan being a brat, he was also incredibly sweet. Shane lived for the moments they would curl up together on the couch, or work silently in the garden; making dinner while arguing about the validity of the humans' so-called ghost proof. He’d never gotten so much of Ryan before, and seeing and knowing him like this had the roots in Shane’s heart growing deeper, spreading further.

Shane had known Ryan for millenia, and he was still learning new things about him every day.

“You play the guitar?”

Shane’s voice was incredulous and too loud in the silence of the living room. At some point the two of them had slipped off the couch to lounge on the floor, both sitting cross-legged. Light from the kitchen spilled into the living room, illuminating things just enough for Shane to make out Ryan’s expression. The darkness had lent an air of intimacy, and their conversation had turned toward secrets, confessions big and small. Shane had confessed that sometimes his job got to him, that he felt saturated in death. Ryan had leaned forward to thread their fingers together, his thumb brushing gently against the side of Shane’s larger hand. They’d sat that way for an unknown amount of time, until the topic turned to other confessions. Shane was still mourning the loss of that touch.

“Yeah, I picked it up a while back to try and deal with my feelings,” Ryan said softly. He stared down at his crossed legs, fingers picking at a hole in his jeans.

“I always thought you dealt with them well,” Shane offered.

“Yeah, well,” Ryan cleared his throat. His eyes flashed a subtle green glow in the low light. “I feel a lot, but that doesn’t mean I always handle them well. It’s a good outlet.”

“Play me something,” Shane asked, a hint of begging in his tone.

“I didn’t bring it, I -”

“Are you a god, or what?” Shane rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. A guitar appeared on the couch next to them, pale colored and plain. Ryan stared at it and bit his bottom lip uncertainly. He leaned forward to ghost the fingers of one hand over the strings. He plucked at one, and it made a low noise. The hesitation that lined Ryan’s body had Shane reconsidering his request.

“You don’t have to,” Shane whispered. “I don’t mean to pressure you. I didn’t realize it was so...”

Private.

Shane supposed there was a reason he’d never heard of Ryan playing the guitar, despite his efforts to keep up on any Ryan gossip that filtered its way through Mount Olympus.

“It’s fine,” Ryan breathed, voice so low it was almost inaudible even in the quiet of the room. “I’ve just never played for anyone before. I’m not that good.”

“Doubtful,” Shane smiled. “You’re a talented little bastard.”

Ryan wheezed. “Thanks, Shane. You know how to talk a guy up.”

Shane opened his mouth to make a joke about his skills lying in how to talk a guy _off_ , but the intimate air and the nervous way Ryan was now cradling the guitar had him shutting his mouth. Now wasn’t the time for jokes.

Ryan sat with his legs crossed, guitar resting on his thighs. He adjusted the way he was holding the instrument, and then strummed. The sound of the note faded from the room as Ryan sat there motionless, hands on the strings, as he stared off into space. Shane waited patiently. Eventually, Ryan’s gaze focused on Shane’s face. His lips quirked.

“Here’s Wonderwall,” Ryan joked, and Shane rolled his eyes.

When Ryan began to play, it was soft, pretty. Shane didn’t recognize the song at all, but when Ryan glanced up to see his reaction, Shane smiled encouragingly. Ryan ducked his head, cheeks turning pink, and watched his hands as they played. After a moment, he started to sing, rough and low. It wasn’t bad at all - he was no professional, but he seemed to sing every word with sincerity and stayed in tune.

“Do you want to come on, scooch on over closer, dear, and I will nibble your ear,” Ryan sang. Shane listened and felt his own cheeks heat up, a lump forming in Shane’s throat as Ryan sang about loving someone and belonging to them.

Shane leaned back on his hands and watched as Ryan played through the song. The little guy looked so focused, like getting it right was important to him, and it was making Shane feel so tender. He wanted to cup Ryan’s face, slide his hands into his dark hair and tell him he was so good, at playing the guitar, at helping usher in Spring, at _knowing_ Shane.

Ryan hit the last note, the sound of it lingering in the air. He lifted his head, his eyes glowing forest green. Shane was caught off guard, too caught up in admiring everything Ryan was to pay attention to the song getting close to the end. He blinked and tried to wipe the besotted look off his face, panic curling in his chest when Ryan’s eyes went wide, his mouth falling open.

“Uh -” Shane squeaked, brain too full of static to figure out what to say, how to get out of this. Not that it seemed to matter.

Ryan licked his bottom lip and flung the guitar aside without any of the previous care he’d displayed for the instrument. He closed the distance between them on hands and knees, stopping when his knees hit Shane’s shins. Ryan put his hands on Shane’s thighs and stretched to meet Shane where he was still leaning back on his hands, frozen in place. But Ryan was too short by far, and with a huff of annoyance, he climbed right into Shane’s lap, thighs thrown over top Shane’s.

He wrapped his hand around Shane’s shirt and pulled him down, lifting his chin, mouth soft. Ryan closed his eyes just as their lips met, but Shane left his eyes open, too stunned, too worried about missing a single second of the greatest moment of his life. Ryan’s lips were a little chapped, but his kiss was full of hunger. Shane’s eyes finally slipped closed as he wrapped one arm around Ryan’s waist. The other pressed against his upper back, the better to haul Ryan closer for a deeper kiss. Shane licked at Ryan’s lips and he opened up, making the kiss wetter, hotter.

Ryan was rolling his hips against Shane’s now, the press of his warm body heavy and welcome against Shane’s. Shane’s pants were far too tight for him to get comfortably hard, but pulling away from Ryan’s mouth to unzip them seemed unthinkable.

“Holy shit,” Ryan mumbled between deep, wet kisses. Their lips clung together briefly before Shane finally pulled away to rest his forehead against Ryan’s, desperately needing air. Ryan reached up to cup Shane’s face and brush his thumbs against Shane’s stubbled cheeks, his grip firm enough to keep him close, as though Shane would pull away.

“So that... came out of nowhere,” Shane commented breathlessly. Ryan pulled back to wheeze a laugh, but his smile slowly faded when he saw Shane’s serious, confused face.

“Seriously, dude?”

“Uh, yes?” Shane hurried to add, “I’m not, like, objecting or, or anything. I liked it. A lot. I wouldn’t mind doing it again as often as you want. But I definitely didn’t see this particular plot twist coming.”

“It’s hardly a _plot twist_ ,” Ryan argued. “I literally - I asked you to kidnap me.”

“For - for a break,” Shane said uncertainly.

“Yeah, but I wanted to spend it with _you_ ,” Ryan said like it explained everything. Like it was obvious, and it was - because Ryan did want to spend it with him, Shane already knew that, but they were friends. Ryan’s favorite thing to do with people he cared about was spend time with them. Shane was honored to be among that number.

But Shane was getting a little disgruntled now. He shook his head. “You wanted a break and thought the only way you could get it was with this elaborate kidnapping scheme. And you, you got to spend more time with me, so it was like a two birds one stone -”

“Unbelievable,” Ryan groaned, and he pressed his hands to his face and shook his head. “How are you like this?”

“Born this way, baby,” Shane joked, resting one hand tentatively on Ryan’s hip. When Ryan didn’t bat his hand away, he reached up to peel Ryan’s hands off his face, to look at Ryan’s glowing eyes. He pressed a kiss to Ryan’s fingers absently before letting go. Ryan’s face turned from annoyance to a sort of soft exasperation. With a sigh, Ryan leaned forward to press a kiss to the ridge of Shane’s nose. When he climbed out of Shane’s lap, Shane couldn’t help the grumble that escaped.

Ryan leaned with his back against the couch. He stretched out his legs so they could rest onShane’s lap. He looked serious and contemplative. After a moment, with a heavy sigh, he spoke.

“I’m just going to lay it all out on the table, big guy,” Ryan said. Shane wrapped a hand around Ryan’s ankle and squeezed comfortingly. “My mom _does_ want me to go out with Helen, but we made a deal. I’d - take a break from it all, come down here to spend some time with you.”

Shane held up a hand. “Wait, wait. Your mom knew about this from the start?”

Ryan flashed him a wide grin. “She did. Though, uh, we kind of set a time limit, and I sort of… haven’t kept to it. Honestly, I’m surprised she hasn’t come down here to drag me back yet.”

Shane made a low, despairing noise. “She probably thinks I murdered you.”

Ryan pressed a hand to his chest and threw his head back to laugh. Shane took offense at just how funny Ryan seemed to find it; Shane could be deadly! He could kill people! He was the God of the underworld, overseer of the dead. “ _Ryan_!”

“Sorry,” Ryan gasped. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you’re very dangerous.”

 _Ryan was very young_ , Shane reminded himself. He wasn’t around for the early years, when Shane was trying to figure things out. When it was easier to be stern and cold, to turn an uncaring eye towards the pain of the deceased. Shane had softened a lot over the years. By the time Linda had created Ryan, he wasn’t much different from the man he was today. Shane _liked_ that Ryan never knew him when he’d been wild and sharp.

So Shane smiled, laughed a little, and waited for him to continue.

“Anyway,” Ryan continued, wiping a tear away, “We agreed I’d spend four months down here with you -”

“Four - Ryan, it’s been almost six!”

“I _know_ , big guy. But I can’t leave, not yet.”

“Why not?” Shane asked, brow furrowed. His hands plucked absently at a stray thread on Ryan’s jeans. “I imagine you miss the sun.”

Ryan smiled sadly. “I do miss it. I miss everything about nature. Your garden is great -”

“- but it’s not a replacement for the real thing,” Shane finished knowingly. The adrenaline from the kiss was wearing off, replaced with weariness and a resignation toward what was coming. Ryan wasn’t meant for the underworld. Shane had known it, but somehow he’d forgotten. He’d _willed_ himself to forget.

“Exactly,” Ryan agreed. “But I can’t leave until -”

There was a series of knocks on the door in a pattern Shane knew well. Both men looked at the door in unison. Shane turned to look at Ryan only to find him already looking at Shane, eyebrows raised in a silent question.

“Coming!” Shane called out. Ryan lifted his legs off Shane so he could scramble to his feet. Shane padded over in his socks, flipping the living room light on. He winced at the bright light before opening the door with a yank, holding the door close to his body so the inside of his house couldn’t be seen.

“Devon,” he greeted warmly. A hint of impatience slipped into his next words, “What brings you here?”

Devon grinned cutely at him, cheeks round and pink. “I have an important message.”

“Oh?”

“It’s not for you,” Devon said. “It’s for Ryan. From his mother.”

Shane winced. He slowly opened the door wider, stepping aside so she could slip past him. She patted his shoulder as she slipped by, looking regretful. Ryan was standing now, arms crossed over his chest, beautiful mouth scowling. He relaxed somewhat when he saw who it was, and greeted her with a hug.

“I know why you’re here,” he said glumly.

“It’s time for you to come home,” Devon scolded him gently. “You’ve been here too long.”

“Mom has Jake! She doesn’t need me,” Ryan protested. He moved around Devon to join Shane by the door. He stood close enough that Shane could feel the heat of his body, but not so close they were touching. It made Shane feel good to have him at his side. Devon smiled at the two of them, looking delighted. She stayed where she was.

“You made a deal. You know you have to honor it. It’s a lot of work to keep the seasonal cycles in working order. Even if Linda and Jake can handle it themselves, it’s still a lot. Plus, they miss you.”

Ryan looked down at his socked feet. He wiggled his toes against the wood floor and rubbed his hands together. Shane knew, with a bittersweet sense of loss, that Ryan would be leaving. He loved his family dearly, with a devotion Shane envied. He’s surprised he hadn’t at least left for a visit.

“I,” Ryan swallowed. “Um.”

“You should go,” Shane said softly. Ryan tilted his head to look up at him, big eyes brown and sad. “You miss them, and it’s no surprise they miss you. Vacation had to end sometime.”

“But we didn’t get to finish our conversation,” Ryan replied, sounding dejected.

“This won’t be the last time we see each other, Bergoogoo,” Shane nudged him. He swallowed heavily. Shane _hated_ goodbyes. This one was particularly painful. “You’re welcome back any time. Open invitation.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Ryan replied, turning so he was facing Shane. He reached out to fiddle with the bottom hem of Shane’s sweater.

“I’m going to use the bathroom,” Devon said far too loudly than to be anything other than an obvious excuse to leave them alone. They were far too wrapped up in each other to notice if she actually left.

“I’ll check in with my mom,” Ryan continued, “And then I’m going to turn around and come right back. I’m not sure - I probably won’t be able to stay long, but I’m coming back. I promise, Shane.”

It was now, with Ryan’s fingers tangled in his shirt and his earnest eyes peering up, that Shane had to be honest with himself. Shane _loved_ Ryan, ceaselessly, breathlessly, with no expectations of it being reciprocated. They’d kiss exactly once, after spending weeks in each other’s company. Ryan belonged up top, where it was sunny and open, not down below with Shane. Even if Ryan _did_ want to be with Shane, it was unlikely to last. Ryan worked to keep the seasons in balance, to help things bloom and grow.

When would he even have time for Shane?

He didn’t want a half-life with Ryan, full of stolen moments and brief joy. Ryan deserved better. He deserved everything Shane couldn’t give him.

Shane stooped down and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to Ryan’s lips. Ryan tried to hold Shane close, hands moving to Shane’s shoulders instinctively, but Shane straightened up. He held Ryan’s smaller hands in his own and pressed a kiss to the palm of his hand.

“You’ll be back,” Shane repeated and kept any doubts locked away. “We’ll talk then.”

Ryan narrowed his eyes at Shane, absolutely unconvinced.

“I will be,” Ryan insisted firmly. “You can’t get rid of me that easily, big guy.”

Ryan wiggled his hand out of Shane’s grasp and pressed it against Shane’s chest, over his heart. He held it there for a minute, warm and solid, before pulling away to cup his hands together. Without taking his eyes off Shane, his hands began to glow, and a flower unfurled between his hands. When it was done growing, he lifted it to his mouth and breathed on it. The petals trembled and took on a subtle glow. Shane took it gently, holding it close to his chest.

“It’s a magnolia,” Ryan smiled. “Have you ever researched the language of flowers, baby?”

Shane swallowed. His hands trembled. “No. I haven’t.”

“Maybe you should.” Ryan stood on his tiptoes to press a kiss to Shane’s jawline - the best he could reach without Shane leaning down. Before Shane could react, the bathroom door was opening and Devon was stepping out. She took in the two of them standing very close, staring at each other silently, and shook her head.

“Okay, you two.” They jumped when she clapped her hands together. She smothered her smile badly, eyes sparkling at the two of them. “Are you ready to go, Ryan? I have more messages to deliver, but I promised your mom I’d accompany you back up.”

“No doubt to make sure I go,” Ryan grumbled. Devon didn’t deny it. She walked to the front door, pausing in front of Shane. She tugged on his arm, and Shane was so surprised he bent down for her, letting her envelop him in a hug.

“I’m so happy for you,” she whispered in his ear, and Shane felt the bridge of his nose and the tops of his cheeks burn with a blush.

“See you soon,” Ryan said, giving Shane’s hand a squeeze as he followed Devon out. The front door closed with a quiet click, and Shane was left alone with just a flower and the smell of gardenias in the air.

* * *

Shane cleaned. He did the dishes that had been piled up for a day, snapped his fingers to empty the trash, took any of Ryan’s belongings that had been left in the living room - including the guitar, still where Ryan had tossed it - and put it in Ryan’s room. The guest room. Shane closed the door behind him and tried not to let the overwhelming silence of his home get to him. He stood there for a long moment, looking around, suddenly at a loss for what to do.

What did Shane do with his time before Ryan stayed with him? Everything seemed so lonely, now.

Shane hurried up the stairs to his study. He gently set the glowing flower on his desk, where he could look at it for comfort. He booted up his laptop, going on and loading up the lo-fi girl just so there’d be some kind of noise in this fucking house. He resolutely opened the book he’d been reading during the quiet moments, when Ryan would slump on one end of the couch, reading his own book, taking a nap, or listening to music.

A furrow appeared between Shane’s brows as he did his best to turn his attention away from his former houseguest and to the book before him. Try as he might, his attention wasn’t being held. He dropped the book onto his bedside table and took a shower. He turned in early, hunched in a miserable ball against the chill of his bedroom, and didn’t wonder at all if Ryan missed him too.

Things didn’t improve. Time passed in a blur of drudgery. Shane worked more than he usually did to avoid returning to his dark, chilly house. He soothed the little ones, and he fended off Minthe’s concern. He barely looked at the flowers she set on his desk to try and brighten up the space, and spent too much time staring at the still perfect magnolia Ryan had gifted him. His head felt heavy and he felt like his music collection had morphed into the sad sack special. The door to Ryan’s room remained closed.

It’s just - Shane wasn’t one to get dependent on a person for happiness. It had hurt when his romance with Sara had broken off, but it’d never been like this. It seemed insane to him that six months with Ryan was enough to turn him into a mess of a person. He just missed Ryan with an ache that never left his chest, that burrowed deep and metastasized.

His garden returned to the state it was in before Ryan’s visit, and it started to feel like he’d never been there at all. Just a figment of Shane’s imagination, wish fulfillment at its most pointed. Shane couldn’t bring himself to turn the doorknob and peek into Ryan’s room. He wasn’t sure what would be worse: a reminder that Ryan had been there, or the jarring reality that he hadn’t been. Shane had never really gone in there before, anyway.

Shane was standing in his garden, looking morosely over the plants that were just this side of healthy. He grimaced. The air itself seemed to hold its breath.

“Fuck it,” Shane said out loud, and went to tell Minthe he was going on a short vacation.

Shane was the overseer of the dead, but he had capable, good people working for him. They could be without him for a while, and it wasn’t like he was going far. He was going to set some time aside to wallow and feel sorry for himself, and then he was going to go back to work and regain his equilibrium. Shane loved Ryan with every bit of himself, but it wasn’t going to be the defining factor in his life.

He popped up topside to get some prime ‘breakup’ groceries, even if that wasn’t exactly what happened. He must have looked pretty wretched, as the humans who normally took little notice of him made way, sending him sympathetic looks after a look in his cart and a glance at his face.

Shane went home and closed the curtains on his windows. He changed into his softest sweatpants and most threadbare shirt, more holes than fabric. He cooked the cheesiest, craziest mac ‘n cheese he’d ever seen in his life. He ate it curled up on the couch, covered in a blanket, something mindless on the television.

Despite the doubt he’d fostered about whether Ryan had ever been there at all, Shane wasn’t so far gone that he truly believed it. He’d never been the type to imagine something like that, and Minthe had met and interacted with Ryan. No, he’d been there, filling Shane’s life with the loudness of his laugh and the warm press of his hands.

Ryan promised to come back and Shane believed him; Ryan had always taken his promises very seriously, especially those made to friends and family. It’s just - it’d been so long. He was no doubt helping Linda - it had been heading into fall when Shane had gone for groceries. But the longer Shane went without any kind of contact from Ryan, the more he wondered. Because Ryan _did_ flirt for fun. It’d be so easy for him to find someone to fall in love with in Mount Olympus, where it was always bright and warm and everyone was so beautiful. Shane was none of that.

Ryan would come back, and he’d be earnest and regretful. He’d kiss Shane’s cheek and say it’d been fun, and he’d be so fucking sincere about it all. Changing his mind about Shane would hurt Ryan’s kind heart too, but Ryan was too honest to continue a lie.

What did the god of the dead expect? That someone as full of life as Ryan would actually _want_ him?

Shane shoved another spoonful of mac ‘n cheese into his mouth. If tears stung his eyes and wet his cheeks, there was no one around to see it.

* * *

Wallowing seemed to help Shane overcome the fatigue and sadness that dogged his every step. After spending a week in his pajamas, subsisting only on junk food, Shane exited his house for a run before work. He took a deep breath and the ache of Ryan’s absence hurt, but it was less being swallowed whole and more being gnawed on from the inside. Manageable.

Shane moved Ryan’s gift from his office to his bedroom. He liked to turn off the lights and stare at it from his bed, gently glowing in the everpresent dark of the underworld. It had been months, and Shane hadn’t had to do anything to keep it in perfect condition. It was the last thing he looked at as he drifted off, and the first thing he looked to when he woke up. He kept expecting it to do… something. Lose its light. Decompose. Simply… disappear. But it remained, beautiful and oddly warm to the touch.

It was the most precious thing Shane owned.

Ryan blew back into Shane’s life on the heels of winter falling in Ryan’s territory. Shane was sipping coffee in his kitchen, slumped against the counter in his pajamas, when there was a fresh breeze, accompanied by a few leaves drifting to the floor, and suddenly Ryan was standing in his living room. He looked around, and when his dark eyes landed on Shane, his lips spread into the widest smile Shane had ever seen. His face scrunched with the force of his smile, and his eyes were practically sparkling.

Shane was now hyper aware of his comfortable, worn hoodie and fuzzy sleep pants next to Ryan’s skinny jeans and henley shirt. Ryan glowed with health and vigor; Shane felt wane and washed out. Still, an answering smile was stretching Shane’s lips, and a delighted laugh escaped him. He stepped forward to fold Ryan in a tight hug, feeling his heart twist when Ryan tucked his face against Shane’s, arms squeezing a little too tight.

“Hey, baby,” Ryan greeted. He pulled back slightly to look Shane in the eye, but kept his arms wrapped around Shane’s waist.

“Uh, hey,” Shane replied, startled by the greeting. He blinked down at Ryan, brow furrowing.

“Did you miss me?” Ryan asked leadingly, smiling at him like Shane was all he wanted. It was making Shane’s brain spin its wheels, confronted so suddenly by all of this _Ryanness_.

“Yes,” Shane said instinctively, and then almost recoiled out of Ryan’s arms from panic. _Surely_ , Shane’s brain insisted, _it wasn’t too much to miss a friend? Totally normal amount of feelings, here_.

“Good,” Ryan declared, and stood on his tiptoes to press his mouth to Shane’s chin. “I missed you, too. Did you get my flowers?”

“Flowers?” Shane repeated, now completely out of his depth as Ryan let him go to wander into the kitchen and steal a sip of Shane’s coffee. He made a displeased face even though he knew how Shane took it, and then had another taste anyway. Shane began making a cup for Ryan, despite knowing the little guy would probably finish off his.

“Mm,” Ryan hummed, “I had them sent to your workplace every week. I didn’t send a card with them - I figured you’d know who they were from and what they meant.”

The _flowers_. The ones that showed up at his desk like clockwork, only to be replaced with a fresh set. It wasn’t Minthe at all, gods almighty. Shane rubbed his forehead and tried to find his footing. Ryan was looking at him now, expectantly, and the longer the silence went on, the more his eyebrows crawled up his forehead. He set the coffee cup down with a click and took a step closer to Shane.

“You _did_ know, right?”

Shane hesitated, and then gave a slow shake of his head. He spread his hands out, palms up, “I thought they were from Minthe.”

Ryan’s expression darkened. “Why would _Minthe_ send you flowers?”

“To… cheer me up?”

Ryan’s face cleared, the storm clearing as quickly as it came. “Oh. Right.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Thank you for the flowers,” Shane offered. “They were lovely. They smelled nice.”

Ryan’s face brightened. “I know, right? I’ve always liked gardenias. They remind me of you.”

“Oh, that’s - that’s nice.” And it was. Ryan was a god of nature, so being associated with a flower could only mean good things. It made Shane smile wider. He felt a gentle heat on his cheeks and knew he was blushing. It certainly wasn’t looking like Ryan was here to break his heart, and hope was making his heart flutter and his fingers tingle.

Ryan gave him a pointed look. But Shane could only smile at him, helplessly charmed. After a moment, Ryan sighed and crossed the room to tuck his hands into Shane’s hoodie pocket, using it to pull Shane closer.

“Did you look up the language of flowers, dumbass?”

Shane blinked. He pushed his glasses up with one finger and then tucked his hands next to Ryan’s inside his pocket, holding them tightly. Ryan’s hands were warm.

“Must have slipped my mind,” Shane commented breezily, hoping to skip over the lovelorn funk he’d slipped into after Ryan left.

“Jesus,” Ryan muttered. “So you thought - you didn’t know I was sending the flowers and you didn’t know what they meant.”

“Nope,” Shane said, still smiling down at Ryan like a fool. His cheeks were beginning to hurt from his smile, but Ryan was _here_ , and he was touching Shane, and he looked so fond. Okay, and somewhat annoyed, but that was just their way.

“You’re an idiot,” Ryan declared loudly, “I cannot believe you. The last thing I said - one of the last things I said was to look it up.”

“It was more of a suggestion, really,” Shane’s smile was broad now - annoying Ryan always made him feel giddy. He laughed when Ryan jerked his hand out of Shane’s pocket to smack at him, fending him off with one hand.

“Stop, stop,” Shane giggled.

“You are googling that shit right now,” Ryan said. “Unbelievable.”

“Is it that big a deal?” Shane asked as he moved to grab his phone off the kitchen table. “You could just tell me what it means. Besides, does anybody use the language of flowers anymore?”  
  
“ _I_ do,” Ryan sent the ceiling a despairing look. His cheekbones held the smallest hint of pink, and for a moment Shane cursed a universe in which Ryan could look beautiful even while blushing, when Shane himself always turned an unattractive red. He didn’t respond to the rest of what Shane had to say, so with a mental shrug, Shane opened up google.

He started by googling _magnolias flower meaning._ The first link he clicked on went into detail, but the words “endurance, eternity, long life” jumped out at him. The second link he clicked on mentioned endurance as well. He swallowed. With shaking fingers, he typed in _gardenias flower meaning_. Shane’s ears turned pink when he read some of the flowers’ meanings: “you’re lovely”, “trust”. When he got to “secret love”, he had to set his phone down lest he dropped it. He rubbed his face, beard rough against his fingers, and felt too overcome to speak.

“You doing okay, big guy?” Ryan murmured. He reached out with one hand to press his fingers gently against Shane’s elbow.

“Yes,” Shane said, voice trembling just slightly. He peered down at Ryan’s face, taking in his concern, the blush that still lingered on his cheeks. “Ryan, are you… certain?”

He stepped closer, head tilting up to keep his eyes on Shane. “About what?”

“About -” Shane waved his phone around as explanation. “You can - I mean, you’re not stuck with me anymore. Surely there are better looking, more acceptable people…”

Ryan’s face darkened. He dropped the hand that had been resting on Shane’s elbow and threaded his fingers through Shane’s, holding his hand firmly. “When I find out who made you doubt your attractiveness and worth, I’m going to beat the hell out of them.”

“What? Don’t be ridiculous,” Shane sputtered. It’s not that Ryan _couldn’t_ \- he could, and he would. But the idea of him setting out to do something like that boggled the mind. Nobody had ever _outright_ insulted him. But Shane wasn’t beautiful like the others; he was too tall, too thin, with a big nose and a shy air that many mistook as sternness or disinterest. He was the god of the dead, the inevitable end to all living things. He was overlooked or ignored at best, or subjected to comments full of rude implications at worst.

“I know you have friends!” Ryan cried out. “What the fuck have TJ and the others been doing?”

“I-I asked them not to step in,” Shane stuttered, taken back by how angry Ryan looked. “It’s really no big deal.”

“It clearly is if you’re doubting how much I care for you,” Ryan snapped. His fingers tightened around Shane’s, painfully so. Shane didn’t shake him off.

“That’s more to do with you being you, than anything,” Shane confessed without thinking.

Ryan looked absolutely _wounded_. His eyes glittered and his face scrunched up like he’d just taken a punch. “What have I done to make you think that I would joke about this kind of thing?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Shane defended. He reached up to brush a curl off Ryan’s forehead. “You haven’t done anything. You’re wonderful - you’re so handsome, and - and funny. You’re kind, and you _see_ people. You saw me when few others did.”

Ryan closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep, steadying breath. “Then why do you sound so doubtful?”

“You could have anyone. Why settle for me?”

Ryan brought their hands up to press a kiss to Shane’s knuckles. “You were so busy watching everybody else at gatherings, you never noticed you were being watched. I’ve been in love with you for millenia.”

Shane made a quiet, surprised noise. He tugged Ryan closer, a solid line of warmth pressed against Shane’s front. “Ryan…”

“One of my first memories of you was at a party where Zeus and Dionysus once again got too drunk and started fighting. They knocked over one of the plants my mom worked so hard on. She had spent hours cultivating it, making it special enough to be displayed at Mount Olympus.”

Ryan looked up at Shane, eyes bright. When he smiled, it was a gentle thing. Tender. “While everyone else was yelling at them to stop, you picked up the plant. You put it back in its pot, and did your best to gather up the dirt that had been spilled. The god of the dead, working so hard to keep a plant alive. I spent the rest of the gathering working up the courage to speak to you. I bugged mom for _ages_ about you.”

“I don’t remember,” Shane muttered.

“I’m not surprised,” Ryan dismissed. “You’re just like that, you know? I’ve been looking at you for a long time. You have a soft heart. I want to keep it safe.”

“Jesus, Ryan,” Shane said, ears burning. His eyes stung a little. “How can you just _say_ things like that?”

Ryan only smiled up at him. “You keep things close to the chest, baby. I was never completely sure if you were interested in me. Sometimes you’d look at me and I’d think ‘ _finally, today’_ , only you never made a move. My family is so tired of listening to me whine about how sweet you are, how gorgeous. So I made a plan.”

“And what a plan it was,” Shane said dryly. His heart rate kicked up at Ryan describing him as ‘gorgeous’.

“Hey, it _worked_ ,” Ryan insisted, which Shane couldn’t argue with. “Mom says hey, by the way.”

“I can’t believe she knew all along.”

“Of course she did,” Ryan laughed, “Otherwise she would have come to take me back. But she approves of this, of us, and she told me to help you live a little.”

“Living is not really my forte,” Shane admitted.

“But it _is_ mine,” Ryan said, pressing a kiss to Shane’s shoulder. “I got you.”

Ryan had had Shane for a long time, longer than he knew. It was only now sinking in that Shane had Ryan too, that the feelings rooted in his chest were also in Ryan’s. Shane tipped Ryan’s face up with one long finger and leaned down to press their lips together in a firm kiss. Ryan gave a pleased little hum and deepened the kiss, Shane only pulling away when his back began to hurt. He took in Ryan’s flushed face, his bruised lips, the way his hand was fisting the front of Shane’s shirt, and the low arousal pooling in his gut sharpened into a stab of lust so strong, it took his breath away.

“I don’t want to be presumptuous,” Shane muttered, “But if - we might want to stop here if you want to take things slow.”

“Presume away,” Ryan replied hurriedly, using his grip on Shane’s shirt to haul him closer, until Shane’s hips bumped against Ryan’s stomach. Ryan deliberately pressed against the sizable bulge poking at him, and Shane let out a low groan at the feeling. “We’ve waited long enough.”

“My room?” Shane asked, licking his lips. Ryan watched closely, hardly blinking.

“Bigger bed,” Ryan considered. “Mine is closer, though.”

Shane wrapped an arm around Ryan’s waist and hauled him across the living room, his steps so quick Ryan’s feet barely touched the ground between where they were and the doorway to his old room. Ryan pushed open the door with enough force that it slammed against the wall, and the two separated long enough to pull their shirts off.

“Do you have any idea,” Ryan panted, “How badly I wanted you to climb into bed with me that first night?”

“Do you know how often I thought about sneaking in here during the night?” Shane roughly unbuttoned his pants and let them fall to his feet. “Climb into the bed and suck your cock, make you come when you’re barely awake -”

“Fuck,” Ryan moaned. He rushed to undress the rest of the way and began to paw through one of the bags he’d left behind. Shane faltered in his own undressing, watching Ryan’s muscles move under his skin, taking in his trim figure, his sweet ass. When Ryan turned around, the bottle of lube held up triumphantly, Shane jerked his gaze up, feeling like his entire body was blushing at getting caught.

“You’re allowed to look,” Ryan said, grinning, teeth white in the dim light. “I _want_ you to look and touch.”

“Good,” Shane rasped. He took in Ryan’s chest, the dark, hard nipples and the tiny happy trail of hair that led right to his cock, hard and red between those muscular thighs. His mouth watered. “I have a lot of ideas.”

“Me too,” Ryan said, voice low. “Anything in particular standing out?”

Shane wanted to try it all, but they had time. Days and months and millenia, because Shane was the type to keep things if he could. Shane dealt with absolutes, made long-term plans, and his feelings for Ryan had the glow of permanency about them. So he shook his head and approached, resting his big hands over the curve of Ryan’s ribs, feeling his rapid breathing. When he leaned down, Ryan pushed up on his tiptoes to meet him halfway, opening his mouth easily for Shane’s kiss, for the flick of his tongue.

“Whatever you want, baby,” Shane said. Ryan reached out and wrapped his hand around Shane’s hard cock. It jerked in his hand, the head wet.

“I want this fat cock,” Ryan decided, wetting his hand with Shane’s pre-come. He began to jerk Shane off, slow and teasing. Shane let out a loud moan and rested his forehead against Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan’s hand felt so good, getting him steadily wetter. He thrust into that grip, mouth falling open. “I want it to split me open.”

Shane grabbed Ryan’s wrist. “It won’t happen if you keep touching me like that.”

Ryan pouted. “You don’t have any self-control, big guy?”

“Not when it comes to you,” Shane grumbled, straightening up, “And the cock ring I have is upstairs.”

Ryan whined loudly. His cock jerked noticeably, and pre-come dripped from the tip to land on the floor. He reached down to touch himself, one hand still wet from Shane’s cock. “You have -”

Shane rolled his eyes. “I don’t get out often, but I do get out. I’m hardly an _innocent_ \- I have a whole trunk of toys.”

“We are definitely going to explore that,” Ryan said breathily.

Shane grinned at him. He wasn’t sure what Ryan took from the look on his face, but it was enough for him to frantically squeeze the base of his cock, holding back on his own orgasm. Shane stepped closer and their cocks brushed together, making both of them moan. Shane’s skin broke out in goosebumps at the warm, soft skin of their cocks touching.

“One day, I’m going to put that cock ring on,” Shane growled, “And I’m going to fuck you. I’m going to make you come and come, and then I’m going to take it off and get you wet. Come in your ass, then fuck you again, and come on your face.”

Ryan made a loud, needy whine. He leaned forward to rest his head on Shane’s chest, hair sticking to his skin with sweat. The flush on his cheeks had spread down his neck to the top of Ryan’s chest, and Shane wanted to leave a ring of bite marks around it to trace its spread as Ryan got more aroused.

“What’s the matter - no self-control?” Shane mocked. “Am I going to have to buy you your own cock ring?”

“Oh fuck, yes,” Ryan moaned.

“Oh, you like that?” Shane reached down and pressed his finger to a spot behind Ryan’s balls that had Ryan shaking in reaction. Ryan’s entire cock was wet and dripping. Shane _loved_ that Ryan was so messy - knowing it was because of him was making his hands shake. “Can’t wait for you to see the rest of my toys.”

“Later,” Ryan gasped. He grabbed Shane by the shoulders and walked him backward to the edge of the bed, and then gave Shane a rough push. With a grunt, Shane fell on the bed, bouncing slightly. Ryan stood there for a moment, staring at him, gaze sliding down Shane’s sprawled body, and then slowly back up. Shane felt the heat in his cheeks deepen until it was stinging, and he focused his gaze on Ryan’s nipples to avoid looking at his face.

“What right do you have to be so goddamn _hot_?” Ryan asked, voice low and rough. He grabbed the lube before crawling on the bed to hover over Shane’s prone body. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Shane’s collarbone, nipped at the side of his neck. Shane’s body jolted with arousal at every touch, his skin prickling with the need to have Ryan pressed against him.

Shane reached up to pinch at Ryan’s nipple, wanting to make him feel just as good as Ryan was making him. Ryan swore loudly, his cock dripping onto Shane’s stomach.

“You like that,” Shane rasped, “You like your nipples being touched.”

“Mmm,” Ryan hummed, eyes sliding half-closed. He reached out to thumb at one of Shane’s nipples. “Do you?”

“Feels good, but nothing like what you feel.”

Ryan made a sound of disappointment. “I want to know what makes you feel good. I want to know it all.”

“You will,” Shane soothed, “We’ve got time, sweetheart.”

Ryan’s eyes flicked up to meet his at the endearment, but didn’t protest it. Instead, he leaned forward to press his lips to Shane’s. The kiss was messy and wet. Ryan nipped at Shane’s jaw, then abruptly bent down to sink his teeth into Shane’s shoulder. Shane let out a shout at the unexpected pain, reaching up to grab Ryan’s hair, though he did nothing more than gently yank.

“I like having my mark on you,” Ryan said. “People will know you’re mine.”

“Possessive,” Shane noted. He made a mental note to leave his own mark on Ryan - it wouldn’t do for others to think he was unattached, after all.

Ryan met his eyes. “I don’t want you to ever doubt how much I want you. How much you drive me fuckin’ crazy. You’re so fucking hot - I think about your big hands all the time, the way you’re so stupidly _tall_. I think about your sweet smile and your dumb jokes, the way I sometimes feel like I might burst out of my skin if I don’t get to touch you. I’m so fucking _gone_ on you, dude. I - I’m just - you’re so -”

Ryan made a sound of frustration.

Shane was _astonished_ that he’d inspired these kinds of feelings in perfect, beautiful Ryan. The guy who lit up the room when he walked in, who received admiring glances and dirty propositions at every gathering.

“Ryan,” Shane murmured, and dragged him up for another heated kiss. “Ryan, Ryan.”

Shane wanted to share what he was feeling. He wanted to give Ryan what he’d just been given, beautiful, heartfelt words that filled the eyes with tears. But Shane wasn’t good with words, and had always been better at _showing_ someone he cared, so the best he could come up with was -

“I love you,” he breathed into Ryan’s mouth. Ryan inhaled through his nose, clearly surprised. “I’m going to spend the rest of my existence loving you.” It seemed to do the trick.

“ _Shane_ ,” Ryan croaked, eyes filling with tears. He pressed his forehead against Shane’s and they breathed each other in. After a moment, Ryan straightened up. He sniffled and rubbed his arm across his eyes before reaching for the lube.

Ryan uncapped it and squirted some on his fingers. He leaned forward, one hand resting on Shane’s chest to keep him propped up, and reached back. His face twisted at the cold lube before going slack. Shane ran his hands up and down Ryan’s thighs, wishing Ryan had twisted around so he could see, wishing -

“Next time,” Shane said, voice rough, “I’m going to be the one to get you ready. I want to sink my fingers in your tight ass, stretch you out for my dick.”

Ryan’s eyes were half-lidded now, his flush returning to his cheeks. His eyelashes were clumped together from his tears, and his brown eyes were locked on Shane’s.

“Next time,” Ryan agreed. “But if I let you do it this time, I’d come before you could work your fat cock into me.”

“That close, baby?”

“Mm,” Ryan moaned. “I can avoid my prostate. And seeing your fingers, feeling them -” Ryan broke off, shaking his head. His hair was curled even more now, the heat between them making him sweat. He was so damned beautiful; Shane couldn’t believe he got to have this.

Ryan pulled his fingers out with a soft sigh. He grabbed the lube again, squirting more into his hand, and then wrapped it around Shane’s red, hard cock.

“Are you sure you stretched yourself enough?” Shane asked, brow furrowing. “I’m not… average.”

“You’re telling me,” Ryan muttered. He tightened his grip on Shane’s cock as he dragged his hand down its length. Shane couldn’t help but roll his hips, fuck into the clench of Ryan’s hand. He met Shane’s eyes. “I want to feel it tomorrow.”

“I refuse to hurt you,” Shane said sternly, sitting up on his elbows. He glared at Ryan.

Ryan smirked. “What if I like a little pain?”

“Then we discuss it beforehand,” Shane demanded.

“I’m not some human you’re fucking,” Ryan argued, scowling. “I might not be as old a god as you, but I’m not innocent either. I know what I’m doing, and I can take everything you’ve got, big guy.”

“Fine,” Shane gave in, collapsing back onto his back. “I’m trusting you on this.”

“Knew you’d see it my way,” Ryan grinned, smug. He shuffled forward and reached down to grasp Shane’s cock, angling it between his cheeks. He bit his lower lip as he eased down, Shane’s cockhead pressing against his rim. Shane’s mouth fell open at the warm press of Ryan’s hole. Ryan sank just a little onto his cock before lifting back up, repeating the motion. Shane steadied him with hands on Ryan’s hips, holding him up so his legs wouldn’t get tired too quickly. Every time Ryan sank down he took Shane’s cock a little further, easing him inside.

“Ffffuck,” Ryan moaned, tilting his head back. Shane wanted to sit up, bite at his neck, suck a mark onto those lovely collarbones. But he let Ryan set the pace, waiting for him to sink down onto Shane.

Ryan hovered there, Shane’s cock halfway inside him, body trembling. When he tilted his head forward to look at Shane, his eyes were glowing, swirls of inhuman forest green mixed in with his beautiful brown. Shane was sure his own eyes were glowing a blue-white; he shouldn’t be able to see in the dark unless he was using his powers. Their gazes locked for a breathless moment, and then in one smooth move, Ryan sat down on Shane’s cock, taking him completely.

They both shouted. The hot, tight clutch of Ryan’s ass was almost too much, too sudden. Shane held back his orgasm by the skin of his teeth, certain his tight hold on Ryan’s hips were going to leave bruises. Ryan clenched down on him before slowly relaxing. He rolled his hips, chest heaving.

Shane bent his legs at his knees and spread them for leverage. He took deep, slow breaths to try and back away from the edge and resolutely kept his eyes away from the place where his body met Ryan’s.

Shane wasn’t sure how Ryan knew; if he felt Shane relax underneath him, or if his face just lost some of the tension in it. But just as he was opening his mouth to let Ryan know he was good, Ryan shifted. He lifted off Shane’s cock until just the head was inside, and then he slammed down, Shane’s cock sliding into him with ease.

Ryan set up a fast, jolting rhythm. He rode Shane like he was desperate for it, like he’d never felt anything as good as Shane’s cock. He moved his hips, looking for just the right angle, and when he found it, when Shane’s cock slammed into his prostate, he tilted his head back and made loud, shameless noises. He whined every time his ass slapped against the cradle of Shane’s hips, loud and needy.

Shane was certain he’d never felt anything like this. That the tight grasp of someone’s ass around his cock had never been so good. Ryan’s cock was leaking copiously now, drops of pre-come falling on Shane’s body, onto Ryan’s chest and thighs. It was dark and angry looking, and Shane’s mouth watered.

When Shane started thrusting up when Ryan slammed down, Ryan _really_ got loud. The sound of his moans bounced off the walls, filled the room, added to the wet slap of skin on skin.

“Oh fuck, Shane, oh fuck,” Ryan gasped. “You stretch me out so good, fill me up, mmph.”

Shane thrust up into him, eyes locked on where Ryan’s ass slid down on his cock. He let go of Ryan’s hips with one hand to cup Ryan’s ass, to feel his hole stretch to take him as he slid down Shane’s length. Shane groaned. Watching Ryan take him, ass swallowing him down, was more than enough to get him there. But Ryan had to go first.

Shane let go of Ryan’s hips completely, leaving him to fuck himself on Shane’s cock without help. It was difficult to touch him with the desperate, needy way he was shoving himself onto Shane’s cock, but he reached out to grasp Ryan’s cock. Ryan slowed down to make it easier for him, head falling forward to watch Shane’s big hand wrap around him. Then Shane reached out with his other hand to pinch at Ryan’s dark nipples.

Shane continued to fuck up into the clutch of Ryan’s ass. Ryan’s eyes rolled back into his head as Shane’s thrusts grew shorter, rougher, right against his prostate. He pounded into Ryan with everything he had, teeth gritted.

“Like that?” Shane rasped. “Going to come for me, sweetheart? Going to take my load, milk me until I’m empty -”

“Shane,” Ryan wailed, movements going sloppy. Shane tightened his grip on Ryan’s hard cock and jerked him faster.

“Now, Ryan, please,” Shane rumbled as he began to come, his cock jerking and pulsing. Ryan slammed down on him one last time, shrieking as Shane’s cock squirted against his prostate. His entire body went tense, toes curling, as he shook helplessly. Shane groaned as Ryan’s ass clenched on his cock, milking his orgasm just like Shane had said. When they were done, Ryan did a slow collapse onto Shane’s chest, Shane’s cock still buried in him.

They twitched with the aftershocks, sweaty skin sticking together unpleasantly. Shane’s body felt heavy, lethargic with satisfaction. Ryan’s weight on top of him felt nice, despite how wet and sticky they were - Shane wanted to wrap his arms around him, but it was like his arms weren’t listening to him.

They continued to twitch through the aftershocks as their bodies slowly cooled down. Eventually, Shane sleepily grabbed the edge of the blanket and threw it over them as best he could. Ryan mumbled incomprehensibly against Shane’s chest, his hair an absolute mess. He pressed a tired kiss against Shane’s nipple and drifted into slumber. It was awkward with Ryan a bit too far down, but Shane bent his neck awkwardly to plant his own kiss against the crown of Ryan’s sweaty head, before he too relaxed into sleep.

* * *

When Shane woke up, Ryan was already awake. He had his arm across Shane’s chest, chin resting on it as he watched Shane sleep. He smiled broadly when Shane looked at him, eyes gummy with sleep. Shane reached out to tug at one of Ryan’s curls, a smile stretching his lips, crinkling his eyes.

“About time you woke up,” Ryan commented.

“Sleep is one of my favorite things,” Shane said, rubbing at his eyes. Joy was making him feel light despite being pinned to the bed by the weight of Ryan’s body. He wanted to take a shower, and eat some delicious food, and he wanted to fucking _sing_ , because the amount of happiness his body was feeling needed some kind of outlet. Shane imagined himself glowing, like a too-bright light bulb. Surely pure joy such as this was visible in some way?

When Shane looked at Ryan it was clear he was feeling the same way. Shane had never seen him look so - delighted. Jubilant. Blissful. All of the words that conveyed happiness, all at once. His smile was so wide his face was scrunching up with it, and his brown eyes were still glowing. Ryan had always seemed like sunlight to Shane, but now his skin had a literal glow to it.

“Just one of your favorite things?” Ryan teased, burying his smile against his arm.

“I have many favorites,” Shane smiled. “One of them is currently squishing me.”

Ryan clenched down on Shane’s cock, where it’d stayed buried in him for the entirety of their nap. Shane groaned. “I didn’t hear you complaining before, but if it’s a _problem_ for you…”

“No problems here,” Shane hurried to say. “But we didn’t clean up before we fell asleep, so.”

Ryan grimaced. Peeling themselves off each other was going to be so gross. “Why the fuck did you let us do that?”

“Me?” Shane cried. “You’re the one on top. You fell asleep on me.”

“You couldn’t roll me off you to get a washcloth? Am I too _heavy_ for you, Shane?”

Shane narrowed his eyes. “I will dump your ass on the floor.”

When Ryan grinned, a flash of white teeth. “I’d like to see you try, big guy.”

The resulting wrestling match was hardly dignified. It got them separated, which had them both cursing in disgust and irritation, but after that it was a tangle of limbs and threats made through barely repressed laughter. Still, Shane was satisfied with the outcome as he carried Ryan down the hallway, the other man clinging to him like a koala bear, whining in his ear about the cold air and Shane’s lack of post-sex manners.

Shane did _not_ drop him into the bathtub, despite some threats made. Ryan rewarded this generosity by calling first dibs, but it was Shane’s bathtub - so they shared. Ryan’s pleased smile made it obvious that he didn’t truly mind. It turned out he was very good at head massages, and Shane felt true bliss with Ryan’s hands buried in his hair, rubbing in the shampoo.

“You’re like a cat,” Ryan giggled, and Shane purred just to make him laugh again.

Shane attempted to return the favor, but once he began touching Ryan, it was difficult to stop. Soap made everything slick and Ryan’s nipples were hard and just begging for Shane to suck on them. It was only the loud rumble of both their stomachs that stopped them, with Ryan’s heavy, dark eyes promising they’d be picking up where they left off soon enough.

A hasty breakfast was made - eggs and toast and bacon, a unanimous decision that pancakes would take far too long to make - but when Shane turned around from finishing the clean up, Ryan was nowhere to be found.

“Ryan?” Shane called out. He was somewhat embarrassed to realize he was already missing the little guy, even though he’d been _right there_ just minutes ago. Shane checked Ryan’s bedroom, and then the bathroom, before wandering back into the living room, scratching the back of his head. It was movement out of the corner of his eye that had him turning toward the garden.

“I should have known,” Shane muttered to himself, and joined the love of his life outside.

The garden was - incredible. The flowers and fruit that Shane had so painstakingly planted and nurtured were in full bloom. There were even things that Shane hadn’t planted - vines, trailing up the side of the house. Gardenias and magnolias bloomed along the small path Shane had left, partially obscuring it. The area around the apple tree was vibrant, the smell of the fruit and flowers potent. Ryan stood with his hands on his hips, peering up into the tree, a small frown on his face. Shane joined him, reaching out with one hand to tangle their fingers together. Ryan’s frown immediately turned into a smile. He stood on his tiptoes to press a kiss to Shane’s chin before once again gazing up at the apple tree.

“What happened out here? Did you do all this just now?”

Ryan turned to blink at him. He looked embarrassed suddenly, gaze dropping to their feet, his eyelashes dark against his cheeks.

“Uh, no. It - this sort of happens, sometimes.”

“You… grow flowers accidentally?” Shane didn’t have a problem with it, but it seemed odd that it’d just happen at random.

“Not - well, kind of accidentally. I don’t _mean_ to do it, but it just kind of happens when I’m - happy.”

It was Shane’s turn to blink at him. “Oh.”

Ryan gave him a significant look. “When I’m _very happy_ , Shane. Almost - uh, euphoric, you might say.”

It took Shane a moment, but when he caught on, he wheezed out a laugh. “Did I - did I fuck you into blooming a whole new set of flowers in my garden?”

“Shut _up_ , Shane.” Ryan violently elbowed Shane in the side, but it didn’t stop him from shaking with laughter. Ryan watched him double over, still laughing, the most long-suffering look on his face.

“I gave it to you so good,” Shane crowed. “I blew your little mind.”

“You are fucking insufferable,” Ryan grunted.

“C’mon, don’t be like that,” Shane giggled. “I like that I make you… happy.”

Ryan heaved a sigh. “You do make me happy. Even when you’re being an idiot.”

Shane straightened up. His laughter quieted until just a soft smile remained on his face. Ryan was looking at him like he had when Shane had woken up, all aglow and so terribly taken. It made Shane’s heart flutter and the roots in his chest quake. Shane squeezed the hand he was still holding.

“You make me happy too,” Shane admitted quietly. “It sure is something.”

Ryan chuckled. “It sure is something,” he repeated, but the look in his eyes said he got it. He kicked gently at Shane’s ankle, boyishly affectionate, and lifted their hands to press a kiss against the back of Shane’s. They stood in silence for a moment, basking in each other’s presence.

“What are you doing out here, anyway?”

“I was trying to get an apple down,” Ryan said, as though it were obvious. He glared at the tree viciously, as though it’d done him a serious wrong.

“If you’re craving an apple, can’t you just make one appear?” Shane asked, blinking in confusion. “I’m sure anything you create would be better than one of those.”

“No, I need one of _those_ apples, but even the lowest branches are too fucking high up.” Ryan dropped Shane’s hand. He stepped closer to the trunk of the tree, reaching out to rest a hand against the rough bark. He stood on his tip toes, one hand stretching out, fingers trembling with the strain of reaching. He was at least a foot too short to grab one of the red apples. Shane covered his mouth with one hand, hiding a grin.

“Let me,” he offered, and reached up to snag an apple. He held it out to Ryan in offering, smiling at Ryan’s annoyed huff.

“You are offensively tall,” Ryan grumbled, but he took the apple.

And then brought it up to bite.

“Whoa, hey - what the fuck,” Shane yelled, reaching out with one hand to stop him. “I-I told you, Ryan. Don’t eat anything from this garden.”

“I know,” Ryan said patiently, “I remember.”

“Then what are you doing?” Shane demanded. He tightened his grip around Ryan’s wrist. Ryan looked up at him calmly. He didn’t fight to escape Shane’s grasp, and he didn’t appear at all alarmed.

“If you eat anything that’s grown in the underworld, you’re stuck here.” Ryan said it so matter-of-factly, like it was something he’d known his whole life.

“That’s - yes, exactly,” Shane said slowly. “So what are you doing?”

“I made a deal with my mom,” Ryan explained. He smiled at Shane. The breeze was ruffling his hair, and Shane was once again struck by how gorgeous this man was. He was just so _good_ , inside and out. It took Shane’s breath away to look at him.

“Another one?” Shane asked, smiling back helplessly.

“Yeah, another one,” Ryan laughed.

“And the terms and conditions of this one…?” Shane trailed off leadingly.

“I get to stay here, with you,” Ryan reached out with one hand, settling it on Shane’s hip. “When it’s winter in my territory, I stay with you. When it’s summer, I have to go topside, but I thought - I was hoping. It’s not like we have long commutes, or anything.”

“Are you… asking me to go topside with you?” Shane breathed.

“Well, yeah,” Ryan laughed nervously. “I don’t want to be away from you for that long. You could just pop into work every day, right? I know it’s not ideal, but… I love you. And I don’t want to be without you.”

Shane felt like his entire body was going to fall to pieces, like every piece of his being was swelling with love for this man, like he’d burst from the pressure of it. Shane cupped Ryan’s face and pulled him into a kiss that turned into two, three. They took deep breaths between kisses to kiss some more, until Ryan was laughing against his lips.

“I guess that’s a yes,” Ryan murmured, brushing his hand through Shane’s hair.

“Yeah,” Shane said wetly, pretending he wasn’t tearing up. He pressed his face against the top of Ryan’s head and laughed. “I love you.”

“Love you too, baby,” Ryan returned. “Now get off me, I’ve got to eat this apple.”

Shane snorted and let go of Ryan, taking a step back so they weren’t touching at all. “You don’t have to do this. You could just visit.”

“If I eat the apple, I _have_ to come back,” Ryan said. “I don’t want you to ever doubt how committed I am.”

Shane smiled. A breeze blew, and the air smelled like gardenias. The soft petals of a magnolia brushed against his hand. Ryan met Shane’s eyes, eyes gentle. He raised the apple to his mouth.

He took a bite.


End file.
